


Dark Nights

by relic_amaranth



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Coronavirus mention, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hopeful Ending, Long-Distance Relationship...sort of?, M/M, Nondescript reader - Freeform, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relic_amaranth/pseuds/relic_amaranth
Summary: Sharing someone’s company doesn’t mean the same thing at all times. You learn to compromise in the face of a pandemic, and look forward.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Dark Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this entirely too long for how short this is. Funnier, this was supposed to be even shorter and 100% dialogue, but it sort of went where it willed. Oh well; it’s a peaceful little thing and I hope you enjoy it.

The night is gloomy and quiet. It’s actually kind of nice– the rain provides noise that has been lacking on your street. Not something you thought you’d say about New York, but, well, these are strange days.

You sit in your armchair with a drink in your hands, thumb idly chasing beads of condensation, and listen to the ‘pitpatpitpatpitpat’ landing outside. It probably doesn’t help the quiet that the TV is off, but you’ve been so unable to focus you don’t see the point. There are a handful of hobbies stashed around your apartment that could be started, a plethora of shows that could be watched, but you’ve been spending your days sleeping, waking up tired, sitting, wandering around 800 square feet, and alternating between general unease and active worry. Mostly.

The sound of your phone is enough to jerk you out of your current apathy, and you struggle to keep your drink from falling while also struggling to get at your phone to see who’s calling you. Just a glimpse of the ID then has you scrambling to answer. “Hi,” you say breathlessly, even though your ass never left the cushion. “Are you okay?”

It takes a second, but a warm chuckle floats from the receiver, through your body, and melts your bones so you sink into the chair. “I’m fine,” Steve says. “I’m good at my job, remember?”

“I know you are,” you say and lean your head back. “It’s other people that are the problem.”

“Well sometimes other people can be made to see reason,” he says. “How are you?”

You’re quiet, because that’s a question with an unpleasant answer, but Steve is weathering this just like you. “I’m fine,” you say. “I miss you.”

“Is this a new game?” he asks, gently teasing. “One lie, one truth?”

That gets a weak chuckle out of you, mostly for his sake. “The punishment for getting it wrong is that I’m going to come over there.”

“I’ll get it wrong on purpose,” he says. “But we’ll have to postpone that ‘punishment.’”

You start to reply, but it falls away. You don’t know what to say that wouldn’t come out wrong, so you don’t say anything at all. That’s a problem when you’re on a phone call and all you have is the other person’s voice. “I’m sorry I’m boring,” you say.

“It’s fine. So am I. I’m just…happy to hear you.”

He sounds so at peace and you wish that could be you, but instead you’re rocked by the feeling that you _could_ walk to him, except you _can’t_ , and it’s all you want in the world. “I miss you,” you say through a throat trying to close up.

“Oh sweetheart, I miss you too,” he says. “It’s going to be all right; we’ll get through this.”

“Will we?” you don’t _mean_ to say, but do.

“We absolutely will; we’re going to pull through this.”

You don’t know if it’s the repetitive words or if there’s something in his voice, but he sounds almost desperate when he says that and, no, damn it, you didn’t want to drag him down with you. He has to keep himself as separate as anyone else, because he actually _has_ to go out sometimes into emergency situations, and he needs to be all right. You need him to be all right. “I’m sorry,” you say and rub your face. “I don’t mean to–…I didn’t mean…that.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Steve says, his voice softer and gentler now. “It’s awful. I know it’s awful. And I miss you too. But I believe that we’re going to be okay.”

“How do you do it?” you say and look out at lights scattered in the near-empty night. A group of people smoking together under a streetlight fills you with such revulsion that you pull the blinds tightly shut. “How do you keep…doing it?”

“Probably the same way you do. But it helps that I’m a public example.”

“You’d do it anyway.”

“Yeah, because it makes sense. And I care.” His voice drops. “It’s still hard though.”

“Mmm.” You exhale. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you down. We just have to…get through it.”

“In whatever way we can.”

“Like talking to you.”

“Exactly,” Steve says. You can hear him smile when he adds, “I hope you don’t think you’re going to have a second to yourself when all this starts to lift. Prepare to say goodbye to your alone time; I’m making plans.”

“What kind of plans?” you ask and lean your head on one shoulder.

“We’re gonna go back to the park. Maybe every day,” he says. “Hold hands. No gloves.”

“What if it’s cold?”

“I’ll bring your hands up and blow on them,” he says matter-of-factly.

It sounds so ridiculous it makes you laugh. Because he would. “What about when it’s too hot?”

“Tough,” he says. “I’m going to hold onto you. All the time.”

Your smile twists somewhat, because it won’t be any time soon. “Someday.”

“It’s going to happen,” Steve says, fervently. But it’s strong, like he truly believes it, and not like he’s trying to make himself believe it. “I’m going to come back and I won’t leave you alone for a long while. When you get so sick of me that you kick me out of the bed, I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

“I would never.”

“Except that one time after–”

“You were being a disgusting asshole on purpose,” you say. “You won’t do that if you really want to be with me all the time.”

“No, I won’t,” he says. He chuckles. “I’ll behave.”

“That’ll be a first,” you say, almost under your breath. Of course he hears it and he laughs and even after he stops you cling to the memory of the sound, to his words, to his conviction. Hopefully it will sustain you until, indeed, all of this is an unpleasant memory that only vaguely passes through your mind when Steve is running his hand up and down your spine as he helps you fall asleep.

Silence passes and you can hear his breathing slow and deepen, and he shifts on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry; you must be tired,” you say.

“Not that tired,” he says. “I have an idea actually.”

“What’s that?”

“Open up Netflix. I haven’t seen that…witch show?”

Your smile grows a little bigger. “What show?”

“You know.”

“Hmm, sorry, not familiar.”

“Don’t make me do this,” he pleads.

You chuckle. “Just one hint?”

He sighs heavily. “The one with the guy…he has a sword…he wears really tight pants…and there’s witches?”

You laugh. Just a little, but it’s enough. “Ah, ‘The Witcher?’”

“Yeah, sure, that,” he grumbles.

“I love you,” you say sweetly.

“Sure you do,” he says and sighs again. “The things you put me through.”

“Mm hm. Absolute torture,” you say but you do as he said. “Why am I bringing this up if you’re the one who hasn’t seen it?”

“When I say ‘start’ we’ll both hit play, and this way we can watch it together,” he says.

You’re set up and ready to go by the time he finishes and it actually sounds…nice. “It’s not as fun when I don’t get to watch you ogle Henry Cavill in his “really tight pants.’”

“You wouldn’t watch me because you’ll be too busy ogling too,” he says. “But if it’s as good as everyone says it is I wouldn’t mind watching it again when I’m over at your place after all this is over.”

Settling against a pillow isn’t as good as the real thing, but for now Steve is with you in whatever way he can be, and eventually you’ll be past the worst of it. As hard as it is now, you can believe that. You smile, and say, “I’m looking forward to it.”


End file.
